What Dreams Are Really Made Of
by rkohulkster
Summary: Takes place after the Lizzie McGuire Movie. 23-year old Lizzie McGuire seemed to be on top of the world until a few bad choices turned her life upside down. When an old friend reemerges, Lizzie finally gets a second chance at life. More inside. LG
1. On Top of the World

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire. The show belongs to Disney.**

**A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I wrote "All By Myself". If you haven't checked it out yet, I strongly encourage you to do so even though it is not a Lizzie McGuire fanfic. I decided to write this story since I am currently being bitten by the nostalgia bug. This is also touches on the topic of an English paper I wrote last spring where I attempted to define the concept of "happiness". This will make more sense as this story goes on.**

**In this story, I will be telling it mostly from Lizzie's POV. I will also be including several old school pop songs which, I believe, are relevant to the plot. **

What Dreams are (Really) Made Of

Chapter 1: On top of the World

My name is Lizzie McGuire. You may remember me as the clumsy, ordinary girl from the boring suburb of Hillridge.

Back in the summer of 2003, shortly before my high school debut, I decided to embark on a journey to the greatest city on earth, Rome. I did this because I felt the need to escape my boring middle class lifestyle. I initially felt that it was very restrictive and prevented me from reaching my true potential. Throughout middle school, I was simply an ordinary girl who had two friends, had a HUGE crush on Ethan Craft and a hopeless love life. I felt that a trip to Rome would change all of this and it did. In fact, I had the greatest moment of my life; my "Wrestlemania Moment" (learned it from Gordo, who went through a wrestling phase too just like every other guy!).

Flashback:

Shortly before I walked through the curtain, I had goose bumps all over my body. I mean, I was just an ordinary American girl, after all. I never thought I would find myself performing in front of thousands of screaming fans.

I hesitantly walked through the curtain onto the stage. Paolo entered from the opposite side.

_Have you ever seen such a beautiful night?_

Just when I was ready to lip sing, I was surprised to hear Isabella's voice singing for me. She had just saved me (and herself, for that matter) from a major embarrassment which would have permanently destroyed her career, which I later found out was Paolo's plan all along. He just wanted to use me to make it happen.

_I could almost kiss the stars for shining so bright…_

_When I see you smiling I go, oh, oh, oh… _Paolo's real voice echoed throughout the arena.

_I would never want to miss this… _

_Cuz in my heart, I know what this is… _My, oh my, he is such a terrible singer!

_This is what dreams are made of …._ "Sing to me, Paolo," challenged Isabella.

_This is what dreams are made of… _The crowd has had enough and they booed Paolo out of the coliseum.

Just when I thought I could finally avoid another embarrassing moment, Isabella challenged me to put on a performance for the capacity crowd on hand. And I was glad she did.

_Hey now! Hey now!_

_This is what dreams are made of…_

_Hey now! Hey now!_

_This is what dreams are made of…_

_I've got somewhere I belong, _

_I've got, somebody to love,_

_This is what dreams…. Dreeeaaams… This is what dreams are made of!_

The crowd responded by giving me a standing ovation. It was absolutely electric. The words of that song rang true that night. Even for a moment, I had finally found my place in this world. I learned that I actually had the intangible "it" in me the whole time which I refused to acknowledge for all these years.

After the performance, Gordo and I decided to sneak away to the rooftop for the last time.

"So are you gonna miss it here?," he asked me.

"I don't know. Kate says I should just stay and have my stuff shipped over from home. Because when I go back, it'll never be the same…"

"Well Kate's wrong as usual," he said.

"You think?"

"You didn't have to be in Rome for all this to happen," he said. "You had it in you the whole time."

His words of confidence finally got through my thick head. I was at a loss for words.

So I decided to do the unthinkable.

"Gordo," I said with confidence. Then I grabbed his face and planted a sweet kiss on his lips.

When I pulled away, I looked away. He seemed speechless as well. Then he replied with his most brilliant line yet, "Thanks."

End of flashback.

Yup. Those were the good old days. Gordo was right. High School did turn out to be a totally different ball game. At that time I thought I was making the right choices. Hey, I was on a roll! Boy, was I wrong…

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. If you read my other stories, you'll notice that I always set the stage with a flashback. The real story begins in the next chapter. Stay tuned.**


	2. Bad Choices Part I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire. The show belongs to Disney.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 2: Bad Choices Part I

Gordo and I haven't talked about our rooftop kiss at all after it happened, not even on the plane. For the rest of the summer, I did not see Gordo all that much although my parents were nice enough to allow us to talk on the phone. When Miranda finally returned, she and Gordo started hanging out a lot more. I suddenly felt like a total outcast even around my two best friends.

And then came my high school debut. As soon as I entered the hallway of Hillridge High School, before I could join Gordo and Miranda, I was met by a standing ovation from all my peers. Word about my great performance in Rome had spread. Suddenly, I was Miss Popular.

Parker was the first person to approach me with a smile on her face. "Lizzie, I saw your performance in Rome on the news the other night,"

"You did?" I replied, unsure of how to respond. I mean this was mean old Parker, we were talking about here.

"I was totally impressed. Would you mind signing this?" She handed me a sheet of notebook paper.

"Sure." I signed the sheet.

"Thanks," she replied as I handed the sheet back to her. "See you around." I simply waved at her.

"Lizzie, could I have your autograph too?" asked another kid. Suddenly everyone wanted my autograph.

"Me too! Me too!" I could not believe it. I, Lizzie McGuire, had officially become a superstar. Best part was it pretty much happened overnight. In the distance, Gordo and Miranda were giving me dirty looks.

I really missed them a lot. However, they suddenly became just two of my "friends" or to be more accurate, my "peeps". At that time, I felt that they were not that important. After all, everyone in the whole school wanted to be my "friend". I simply faked a smile and waved at them. They both raised their eyebrows and simply walked away.

"Who needs those losers anyway?" Kate said cockily as she walked up to me along with Claire and the rest of the posse. I was not sure how to respond to this so I remained silent.

"Look Lizzie," Kate started. "You don't need those two in your life. They were only holding you back all those years."

"But…" She appeared to be right at the time. Gordo and Miranda were part of my past when I was a nobody, a second class citizen of Loserville, USA. This time there was a new Lizzie in town.

"Now that they're out of your life, look at the payoff," I smiled and replied, "You're right, maybe its about time I stop looking back and start looking forward."

"That's the spirit, Lizzie," said Kate. "Meet us at the cafeteria at lunch?"

"Sure." I replied with a smile.

Later that night…

Despite my decision to ignore Gordo and Miranda all day, they still decided to call me that night.

"Lizzie, what just happened today?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, you just pretty much ignored us today, you know, your two best friends in the world," Gordo commented. I felt a little bad but at the time, I did not really care.

"Well, I can't help it if everyone wants to be my friend," I responded. "Besides since when did you guys have a problem with me meeting other people?"

"We have nothing against it," said Gordo.

"Yeah, but you could've at least said hi," said Miranda. "What ever happened to friends forever?"

"Okay, fine. Let's hang out tomorrow." I replied just to try to keep the peace.

"Great, Miranda and I wanted to see a movie this weekend," said Gordo.

"You're welcome to join us…. If you want" said Miranda.

"You know what, I can't," I replied. "Kate invited me to this party at Ethan's house…"

"What about next weekend," asked Gordo.

"Sorry, I can't," I replied. "There's another party at Kate's house…."

"Okay, little miss popular let us know when you're available," Miranda said.

"Sure, talk to you guys later, bye," I said and hung up.

The next day…

Gordo and I were in the same English class. We had our brunch period after that class.

"Lizzie, can I talk to you?" Gordo grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside.

"Sure," I replied as I rolled my eyes. "What's up?"

"Lizzie, what's happened to you?" he asked. I remembered what Kate said the other day. She was right Gordo was a remnant of the past, being his friend was only holding me back.

"Nothing, it's still the same old me,"

"No, its not," he said. "The old Lizzie always cared about her friends. You always had time for the most important people in your life. Now I don't even know who you are anymore."

"Oh yeah, maybe it's you who's confused," I replied angrily. "For all those years, your interests and hobbies were always changing, like you were not sure of who you are,"

"So?" he asked. "It's normal for young boys and girls to try different things to discover who they are."

"Don't lecture me about being normal, Gordo," I said. "It's that same confusion and fickle mindedness that made me change my mind about you," I was on a roll and there was no turning back now even though I know I was going to regret what I was going to say next.

Tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "W…what do you mean?" he said.

"You know what Gordo, I always had feelings for you," I said. "But you never had the guts to take the hint. Like that kiss on the rooftop, I hoped you would actually have the sense to make the next move." He was speechless and looked away.

"Kate was right, you were simply a fickle minded boy who did nothing but hold me back all these years, I don't want to be with a BOY, what I need is a MAN… and Guess what? You're not it!" I wish I could take back what I just said. Unfortunately, that was not possible.

"Fine, if you really want to push me and Miranda away, I respect your wish," Gordo said with tears in his eyes. He turned around and walked away from my life forever.

"Goodbye Gordo… Goodbye Miranda…." I said softly as I stood there alone in the hallway.


	3. Bad Choices Part II

**A/N: Thank so much ****HilaryDroxursox for giving me my first review. Glad to see that some people are still reading LM fan fiction. Anyway, I will most certainly return the favor and review one (or most likely both) of your stories. I also encourage everyone else to post a review whether good or bad. It would really make my day.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 3: Bad Choices Part II

For the next four years, I slowly changed my attitudes towards the world. I became a lot more selfish and arrogant. I felt that the world had to bow down to my demands. Well, at the time, it appeared as though everyone was bowing down to me.

Flashback:

"Kate, could you please get me some coffee?" I asked her in an arrogant tone.

She hesitated for a little while and gave me a nasty look. I responded by giving her a nasty look of my own. "S..sure, Lizzie…." Ha! She had to stand down! She had to give in! Kate may still be the captain of the cheerleading squad, of which I am a part of. But I, Lizzie McGuire rule the school! I am the queen bee of Hillridge High! Not Kate, not Claire, but ME!

In a few minutes she returned from the coffee stand on campus and handed me a cup of coffee. "Thank you," I took a quick sip of the coffee and quickly spat it out.

"Kate!" I screamed. She looked a little scared.

"What?" she asked.

"This coffee has no sugar!"

"You never said…"

"I mean, who in the world would want to drink coffee without sugar? Sugar!" I was really raising my voice at her.

"Okay, okay, I'll go get you some sugar…" she quickly said and hurriedly rushed back to the coffee stand. I think I'm starting to enjoy my new role.

In the distance, I saw Gordo and Miranda getting chummy. Miranda put a hand on Gordo's cheek kissed him passionately on the lips. That kiss made me feel bad. For the past year, I had a completely different circle of friends. No longer was I part of the three amigos, now the two lovebirds. I was moving in circles I could only dream of a few years ago. Deep down inside, I missed them very much. But at the time, I felt that hanging out with the popular crowd would more than offset the loss of my two best friends. Not wanting to be outdone, I too felt the urge to show them that I have moved on.

First, I decided to invite to them to the party at Ethan's house. I walked up to them after they pulled away from their kiss, which was all that was. It was not a make-out session or anything like that. I walked up to them and said, "Hey, party at Ethan's house this Saturday. Both of you are invited." I then handed them fliers. They both replied by saying "Thanks" with confused looks on their faces.

After I handed Gordo and Miranda the fliers, Ethan Craft walks by. "Hey Lizzie, Miranda, Gordon, what's happenin'?" he greeted.

"Hey Ethan," we simultaneously said.

I felt that this was a good time to show my former friends the new Lizzie. I walked up to Ethan and wrapped my arms around his neck. I know, right?

"Lizzie, what…" he started. But I placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh… It's just, there's something I've wanted to do for a long time," I said.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I responded by pressing my lips against his. The whole school stopped and stood in awe. Even Kate looked stunned and appeared just about ready to break down and cry. The surprising part was that Ethan was actually kissing back. We were engaged in an all out make-out session in front of the whole school. Gordo and Miranda looked at me in disgust and walked away. I was having the time of my life until I heard Mr. Dig's voice.

"Ahem…" he started. "I think we've just about seen enough, Miss McGuire and you too Mr. Craft."

I pulled away from Ethan and said, "Sorry, Mr. Dig." He then walked into a classroom.

"Lizzie, that was the bomb," Ethan commented. "I mean…" I once again placed a finger on lips and placed my face by his ear.

"Save it for Saturday," I whispered seductively before I let go of him. "Hey Ethan, would you mind helping me with my workout routine?" I asked. Boy, since when did I become so smooth?

"Sure, how bout we meet on the track after school?"

"Sounds good," At that moment the bell rang and we both went to our classes.

Shortly before Ethan's party I decided to make big changes to my appearance. The first thing I did was dye my hair black and worked on lengthening my eyelashes. I also began going to tanning salons more often to get a nice tan. In addition, I also started exercising a lot more (with Ethan Craft!) and watching my diet. As a result, I ended up becoming leaner than I've ever been in life! This is indeed a new me.

At Ethan's Party….

Many people have been drinking and making out all over Ethan's house. I had a few drinks myself. I wanted to get in on some of the action. Kate was having a lengthy conversation with Ethan. I didn't want her to steal my moment or MY MAN. So I decided to break it up.

I inserted myself between the two of them. "Kate, I think Ethan's heard enough from you," I said as I gave her 'the look'.

"Ethan…"

"Ummm…. I think I also wanna hang with Lizzie," said Ethan. "We can always hang some other time."

"Ughh!" said Kate, who walked away, clearly frustrated.

"So where were we?" I asked seductively as I licked my lips and looked at him with my seductive eyes.

"I dunno…" he responded. "But you're looking hot tonight."

I smiled and said, "Thanks." "Don't you wanna see the results of the workouts we've been doing together?"

"Uhh… Sure." he replied casually.

"Let's go upstairs," I suggested. I grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to his room.

I wasn't surprised to find pictures of several swimsuit models all over Ethan's room. It's just like him. Before he could say anything I once again placed a finger on lips.

"Shh… No talking…" I whispered seductively in his ear. I then pushed him on the bed, took off my shoes and unzipped my dress. I was now in the lingerie I picked out specifically for this moment. I got on top of him and began kissing him. Shortly thereafter he moved me under him and kissed me with such passion. I was officially in heaven…

I looked up at the ceiling after that amazing moment with Ethan Craft as I lay down comfortably under the covers of Ethan's bed. I could not believe he was actually my first. While I was reveling in the moment, sweaty and exhausted, Ethan had already gotten up and began getting dressed.

"Hey Lizzie, are you okay?" he asked. "I know this is your first time…"

"Me?" I asked. "Never better," I responded with a smile even though I was actually feeling very sore.

"Great, cause I need to go back downstairs to, you know, entertain the guests since its my party and all," he said. "Meet you down there in a few minutes?" I nodded. After that, he walked out the door.

"Sure," I replied as I snuggled under the covers, too lazy to get dressed. The funny thing was that after a while, I felt very empty on the inside even though I had just lost my virginity to the man I've been fantasizing about during middle school. Overall, however, I didn't mind since I felt very satisfied at the time.

End flashback.

**A/N: Okay. There's more to come. I decided to end this chapter here. The next chapter will deal with Lizzie's mistakes during her early adult years (beginning with her senior year in high school). That will be the last flashback chapter before I get on with the story in the "present day". All of this will make more sense soon. Please review.**


	4. Bad Choices Part III

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. There's just been a lot going on in my life very recently. But nonetheless, I'm back now and am ready to continue the story. By the way, to answer HilaryDroxursox's question, Lizzie was about fourteen or fifteen in the last chapter. This chapter will focus more on Lizzie's senior year in high school, all the way up to her early adult years. As you are about to see, I did my best to consolidate an 8 year period in one chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the show. It belongs to Disney.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 4: Bad Choices Part IV

Just when I thought things could not get any better for me, they did. Ethan and I have gotten closer over the past year. It has gotten to the point where we eventually became "boyfriend and girlfriend".

"Come on, Lizzie," yelled Ethan as he held a stopwatch in his hands. "You only gotta do twenty more!" I was working on my sit-ups and was just about to finish.

As soon as I was finished, Ethan handed me a water bottle. "Good job, Lizzie!" After I finished sipping, I decided to ask Ethan a very bold question.

"Ethan, can I ask you something?" I asked after I sat up.

"Anything."

"I was wondering," I began. "I was wondering if you and I are, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Wow, that was unexpected."

"What do you mean?" I asked, showing him the sad eyes.

"Ya, sure. I'd love to be your man, Lizzie!" he replied.

"Great," I replied and quickly planted a kiss on his lips. "So, you wanna, you know?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows suggestively.

"I'd love to!" he replied with a naughty smile. He suddenly started kissing me. Pretty soon we were both engaged in an all-out make-out session. After what seemed to be hours of making out, Ethan suddenly picked me up and carried me up to his room.

He forcefully threw me on the bed, got on top of me and began kissing me again. This time, I wanted to make sure I was really prepared for this. So I gently pushed him away. He showed me a puzzled look.

"Just want to make sure you're not forgetting," I started. "You know, that thing (a condom)." I said with a smile.

"Nope, I got one right here," he pulled one out of his pocket.

"I love you, Ethan," I said.

"I love you, too, babe." He replied before he once again brought me back to heaven.

My relationship with Ethan was never very deep. In fact, many times I felt that the only thing keeping us together was the physical pleasure we both gained from the relationship. Basically, the routine would go like this. I would meet up with him for a workout. After that, we would have sex. Other times, we would go to the Digital Bean for lunch or dinner. Afterwards, we would go to his house (or sometimes my house when my parents and Matt are away) and burn our calories there.

Something was telling me my dream relationship with Ethan Craft, was not going to last very long. Sure enough the dreaded day did eventually come.

Ethan got off of me after another exhausting love-making session. I heard Ethan breathing heavily. I was extremely sore as I laid flat on my stomach and rested my head on my pillow. This was one of those rare times when we did it in my room since my parents went out to dinner and Matt was hanging out with at Melina's. I turned over hoping Ethan would spoon with me. Instead, he simply got up and began getting dressed. This really surprised me at the time so I sat up and asked him what was up.

"Ethan, is something wrong?" I asked.

"Lizzie, there's no easy way to say this but…" Oh no, I know what's coming next. "I think I'd like to get back with Kate." He replied without looking at me. I could not believe he was breaking up with me. Talk about good timing!

"You're breaking up with me?" I said. Tears began to form in my eyes.

"Unfortunately, its time for you and me to move on, Lizzie," he replied. "But we can still be friends, right?"

"Right…" I said as I held my knees close to my body and put my head on top of them as I cried. This was the first time in a long time that I, Lizzie McGuire appeared vulnerable. I felt really dirty at the moment since it finally occurred to me that Ethan never had any genuine feelings towards me. He just wanted to get laid. In short, he used me.

"It's just that, Kate and I just have the chemistry, you know?" If he was trying to make me feel better, he sure is doing a pretty darn good job!

"You don't have to explain, *sniff*" I said. "I understand."

"Okay, goodnight, Lizzie," he said before he walked out the door. I didn't bother to reply anymore. There was nothing I could do except cry myself to sleep.

It was during times like this when having true friends who have your back would come in handy. I miss the days when I could simply call Gordo and/or Miranda when I was depressed. But given the way I've been treating them lately, that was simply not an option. Now, I've come to realize that I didn't have any REAL FRIENDS even though I appeared to be Miss Popular on the surface. All the "friends" I think I have are only on my side because they believe that it is cool to be closely associate with someone famous. But in my time of need, none of them would be there for me since, in their minds, I have reached my peak. In that instance, I have officially become a "has-been". Man, do I miss Gordo and Miranda. I'm sure they must be very happy together while I'm stuck with superficial friends who don't really give a damn about me. In short, I traded my real friends for a set of phonies.

During the course of my sophomore and junior years, things appeared to be business as usual. I walked around the school as the new "popular" Lizzie, the one with a hard body, dark hair and a spunky attitude. My posse consisting of Kate (who was now with Ethan once again), Claire and even Parker constantly followed me around. But for some reason, I was no longer getting the kind of satisfaction I used to get. In fact, I seriously miss Gordo and Miranda but unfortunately that door is now closed. I have no choice but to move forward.

_The Beginning of Senior Year…_

My big breakthrough appeared to happen during my senior year. Mr Digg, who was now a permanent Social Studies teacher, appeared ready to make an announcement.

"Ahem," he said. "As you all know, we here at Hillridge High School want to be as welcoming as possible to new students,"

"You mean, there's a new student in this class?" Tudgeman asked. Haha, typical Tudgeman!

"Correct, again Mr. Tudgeman," replied Mr Digg. "In fact, here he is right now," I was shocked to see who just walked through the door. For a minute I was wondering I was actually awake or was just dreaming. "Class, please welcome our new student, Ronnie Jacobs. He just transferred from Jefferson."

"Hey everyone," said Ronnie.

He walked over to where I was sitting. I was not quite sure how to react to this. "Is this seat taken?" he asked. I replied no.

He took a closer look at me and asked, "Lizzie, Lizzie McGuire?"

"Yup, it's me," I replied.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "You look different from the last time we were, um, together."

"What exactly do you mean?" I asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I mean, you look a lot hotter than before." he said. I simply smiled. "Looks like you've been working out!"

"As a matter of fact, I have," I replied.

"Listen, can we talk, like maybe during lunch?" he asked. I wasn't sure how to respond to this. "Don't worry, no strings attached,"

I know what you're thinking. Would I seriously be stupid enough to speak with a man who broke my heart in the past? Well, at that time, I thought there would really be no strings attached. Besides, for two years, I have been boyfriend-less since nobody has been good enough for me (not that I wanted to take Ronnie back as my boyfriend).

"Sure, see you at lunch," I reluctantly replied.

"Great, catch you later."

_Lunchtime_

"So, what made you want to come to Hillridge?" I asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "I found Jefferson a little too strict, too restrictive. You know?"

"I see," I said, clearly getting bored.

"Okay, I'll cut to the chase," he started. "My dad recently purchased a small modeling agency located right here in Hillridge."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I think you would make a good model for our agency." He told me.

"Wow, that's so cool!" I said excitedly. "I'd love to be a model."

"Great, can I take you out to dinner this Saturday?" he suddenly asked. "We can talk more about your modeling career then."

"I'd love to," I replied. "Pick me up at about 5."

In the days leading up to my dinner date with Ronnie, my parents were not too pleased with the potential of us getting back together.

"You're actually going out to dinner with Ronnie?" my Dad asked. He looked furious.

"Honey, don't you find it a little strange that he would just suddenly want to get back together with you?" asked my Mom.

"Mom, Dad, this is not a date," I tried to assure them. "We are just two friends trying to catch up."

"I don't know honey," said my Mom.

"Mom!" Man, they sure were giving me a hard time.

"Lizzie, I don't think I'm comfortable with this guy offering you a modeling career," said my Dad. "I'm also not comfortable with what might happen during your photo shoots."

"Dad, nothing's going to happen!" I yelled. "There's nothing wrong with modeling. At least I'm not working as a prostitute or selling drugs!" After my last statement, I ran up to my room and shut the door.

At this point, people that know me might be wondering why I am so quick to give Ronnie another chance. First, I saw it as a chance for me to take that next step in my life. I mean, who would turn down a chance to be a famous model? Not only do those women make thousands of dollars an hour but they are also respected by the general public. On top of that, I have this habit of always finding the best in people. In other words, I believe that men (and women, for that matter), are 'good' by nature, which leads to my tendency to give people a second chance. Hey, it's been a while. So maybe Ronnie has indeed changed for the better.

_After our date_

I had such a fun time chatting with Ronnie over dinner. I learned that over time, he decided to take up photography as a hobby. Just like Gordo, he later tried his hand at making movies. He practiced his craft by filming some choreographed fight scenes put on by his close friends. I'm just not sure how good these scenes are, though.

I also told him about my decision to work out with more intensity than ever before because of my desire to show the world a new and improved Lizzie. We also discussed my big moment in Rome. Time went by so fast. Before I knew it, Ronnie pulled into his driveway.

"Wow, this is where you live?" I asked as I eyed Ronnie's house. It looks like a five bedroom house in a lot that is well over an acre.

"Yup, it sure is." He replied as we both walked up to his doorstep. I was preparing to thank him for the fun evening and return home but it turned out he had other plans.

"Listen, I would like to say thank you." I told him with a smile. "I had a really good time tonight."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Wanna come in?" At that moment, I was wondering if I really wanted to do this. I mean, surely, nothing was going to happen, right?

"I don't know, Ronnie, I really need to get home soon." I told him.

"Not for another hour," he replied with a smile. Man, that smile looked really irresistible. "Come on, I won't bite, I promise."

"Sure," I nodded as I entered his house. I was astonished to see such expensive furniture. I guess this is what houses look like in the Hillridge Hills.

"Hey, wanna see my room?" he asked. Whenever a guy says something like that, you know he doesn't just want you to 'see his room'. But I didn't care. I decided to give him a chance. After all, this was kind, sweet, gentle Ronnie we're talking about here, right?

_Inside Ronnie's Room_

"Please, have a seat." He then gestured to his bed.

"Ronnie, I don't know…"

"Trust me. I won't do anything to hurt you." He assured me. The kind, gentle look in his eyes was enough to break down all my defenses. He was just so sweet.

He then walked up to me and grabbed my cheek. I tried to look away but he moved my face in front of his. "I love you, Lizzie." he said boldly.

"Ronnie, I don't understand," I started. "You…" He then placed a finger on my lips.

"Yes, I know and I really regret doing that." he said. "After tonight, it became clear that you are really the one for me."

"Do you really mean that?" I whispered in his ear.

"Absolutely," Before I knew it, he pressed his lips against mine. Although my mind was telling me to think twice before going any further, my hormones overwhelmed all of my common sense.

He moved me down on the bed and began to undo my jeans. While he was in the middle of doing that, my cell phone suddenly rang. Talk about good timing!

"Who's that?" he asked as he briefly backed away.

"It's my mom," I replied.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No, keep going," I told him. "Don't stop… No matter what." He continued to undress me and feel me up as I answered the phone.

"Mom?"

"Lizzie, where are you?"

"I'm at Ronnie's, mom."

"What are doing there this late? Are his parents there?" Wow, she asks too many questions.

"No, they're away on business," I replied. I began breathing heavily and rhythmically. Nothing I could do about that.

"Lizzie, what are you doing?"

"Ohh… huh… nothing…" I replied.

"Lizzie? What's going on?" my Mom now sounded very concerned.

"Uhh.. mom…. I'll call you back… Don't worry I'll be okay… Ohh…"

"Lizzie?" I then hung up and dropped the phone. There was no way I was going to let my Mom ruin a moment like this. Since when did I suddenly become bad girl McGuire? Oh yeah, back when I decided to become a new Lizzie.

Unlike Ethan, Ronnie was a very gentle lover. He was always looking after my well-being during our moment. When the moment ended we both lay back down in silence while we held hands. Shortly thereafter, he turned over and held me close to him. I responded by resting my head on his chest. Wow, he sure is a pretty sweet guy.

"Lizzie?" he said as he caressed my shoulder.

"Yeah, Ronnie?" I replied as I squeezed him tightly.

"I promise to do all I can to make you the hottest model the world has ever seen," he said assuredly. "You'll make Tyra Banks look like an amateur.

"Shut up!" I said playfully as I punched his shoulder lightly. I later fell asleep in his arms.

When I got home the next morning, my parents were very upset with me. Unfortunately, they no longer believed in grounding me since they felt I was too old for that. Come on, I already had my driver's license. I completely ignored my parents as made my way to my room.

"Lizzie, don't you walk away from us, young lady!" yelled my Dad.

"It's my life, okay?" I yelled.

"Lizzie, we're only looking out for you well-being…" pleaded my mom.

"Well, screw you!" I yelled back. "You're always trying to control my life. From now on, I make my own decisions! Not you!" I then shut the door hard and laid in my bed as I recalled the pleasant events of the previous night.

I really enjoyed modeling for Ronnie. Since his dad owned a modeling agency, not only did I get to wear the clothes, but I got to keep them as well…. for free! The agency was paying me about twenty dollars an hour to start. Wow, that was more than many fresh college grads make these days!

After I celebrated my eighteenth birthday, Ronnie felt the need for me to be a little more daring. So I began posing in bathing suits, both one-pieces and bikinis. Shortly thereafter, I was posing in my underwear. It was official. Lizzie McGuire was all grown up. My dad was not too thrilled about it, though.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with you posing half naked for all the men to see, young lady." he said bluntly.

"Yeah, we don't think a little more modesty would be all that bad," added my Mom.

"Mom, dad, I make good money doing this," I told them. "And I'm going to continue to do it whether you like it or not! I'm an adult now, remember?"

"That is it, young lady" yelled my Mom.

"We've had enough of your new attitude!" said my Dad. "It's our house, our rules! If you don't want to follow it, I suggest you start looking for your own place after graduation!"

"You mean you're kicking me out?" I said. "You're actually kicking out your own daughter? What about Matt?"

"Sam…"

"No, Jo, I really mean it this time!" said my Dad. "In case you haven't noticed, Lizzie, Matt's changed recently. He listens to us a lot more and he actually knows how to take responsibility for his actions."

"You know what?" I started. "Fine! I'm gonna move out after graduation. Its about time I left this dump, I used to call home!"

My dad walked away, clearly upset. "Lizzie…" my Mom tried to plead with me but I rudely walked away from her. It was official, I have now antagonized my whole family.

While I was modeling in my bikini one day, I felt a strange tinge in my tummy. I also began feeling a little dizzy and extremely tired. I have been feeling this way for the past several days. Ronnie also noticed something was wrong.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" he asked as he knelt down to attend to me.

"I'm feeling a little dizzy," I told him. "I think I need to go to the bathroom." As I sat down on the bathroom floor, it finally hit me. I might actually be pregnant. I decided to take a few pregnancy tests first before I told Ronnie.

As I walked out of the bathroom, he had a look of concern on his face. "Lizzie, are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm feeling a lot better." I lied.

I later found out that I was indeed pregnant. I could not tell my parents. I certainly could not talk to Gordo and Miranda about it. I did not want to mention it to my posse since my doing so would result in the loss of my spot as the queen bee of Hillridge High School. Ronnie was the only person I could trust.

"Ronnie, there's something I need to tell you." I said as I sat down on the bench.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant." I said in a whisper.

"That's great!" he said.

"Ronnie, we're too young to be parents," I reminded him.

"Don't worry, we could turn this into a money making opportunity," he said boldly.

"What do you mean?"

"I think it would be best for you to take a break from modeling for now," he said.

"Then what?" I asked. "People are gonna make fun of me once the bump appears." I then covered my face with my hands.

"Don't worry, they won't!" he tried to assure me.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because I can make you look beautiful," he said. "I could take some pictures of you showing off your baby bump."

"How's that supposed to be good for me? Or for us?"

"Think about it, Demi Moore and Britney have posed naked showing off their baby bumps." he said. "People never made fun of them for doing that. In fact, people commended them for being proud soon-to-be moms. More importantly, they made a lot of money doing it. "

"Okay," I said with a smile. "I trust you." I then kissed him on the lips.

Sure enough, when word about my pregnancy got out, my posse abandoned me. In fact, they no longer wanted me to be part of their group. Every person I would walk by would give me funny looks. Gordo and Miranda could only scratch their heads. But I trusted Ronnie. He promised that people would see me differently if I showed off my baby bump in my photos. Sure enough, when the baby bump came, Ronnie shot pictures of me naked and showing off my baby bump. I later found out that he posted those pictures on the internet for all to see.

When I returned to school after Ronnie had shot those nude photos of me, people shunned me even more. They began to ridicule me. Some even called me a slut. How does that make me a slut? I never considered myself too promiscuous. After all, I've only been with two guys. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Kate," I called as she and the posse went by.

"What is it, Mommy?" she asked mockingly. Man, I felt really offended by that.

"Why is everyone acting funny around me?"

"Haven't you heard or seen?" asked Claire. "Your naked photos are all over the internet. Everyone in the school has seen them."

"I know, but Ronnie said it would cause people to take a more positive view of my situation." I said.

"Lizzie, you are so naïve!" Kate said. She and Claire did a high-five before walking away. Tears began to form in my eyes. I then decided to leave school and run to the park where no one I knew could see me. I tried to call Ronnie but he wasn't picking up. The tables have officially turned. I went from being the queen bee to the "slutty girl" shunned by the whole school.

After about a couple of hours, I felt someone tap my shoulder. When I turned around, I was surprised to see Tudgeman.

"What do you want?" I asked him as I continued to bury my head in my forearms.

"Is it true?" he asked.

"What is true?" I replied, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh so you haven't heard," he said. "You see, Ronnie's been going around saying that you seduced him that one night which led to, you know, your situation right now."

"He said that?" I replied in shock. "That is so not true. That's not what happened at all."

"Well, I believe you, Liz," he said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Unfortunately, no one in the school is going to listen to a nerd." I tried to smile in response. "Even if that's the case, I just want you to know that I'm totally on your side."

"Thanks Tudgeman," I said as I hugged him tightly. I really needed a friend right now and he was the closest thing I had even though he still hasn't changed his shirt! Wow, this is officially the lowest point of my life. My family doesn't want to have anything to do with me. In fact, they want me to move out soon. My two best friends have moved on and my boyfriend officially ruined my life.

The next day, I decided to confront Ronnie when I saw him in the halls.

"Ronnie, we need to talk," I said boldly.

"Sure, Lizzie, what about?" he asked.

"Is it true?" I asked. "Have you really been telling people that I seduced you that night?"

"Yup, so?" he asked.

"You bastard!" I yelled as I pounded my fists into his chest. The whole school stopped to watch us.

"Stop it, Lizzie! You're causing a scene!" he whispered but I didn't listen. I continued to pound him.

"Okay, I admit, I did it." I said.

"Why?" I asked in an angry tone. "You're my boyfriend you're supposed to be on my side!"

"Not anymore," he said. "You need to wake up, Lizzie. Welcome to the real world."

"Its called business," he whispered in my ears. "You're no longer of any use to me or my company. In fact, I'm sure any modeling agency would consider you a liability since your promiscuous behavior could prevent them from fulfilling their obligations to their clients."

"So you just used me?" I was really furious.

"Not quite," he said. "I'm sure you've noticed that I'm not the one with the problem. You're the one carrying a baby. I want no part of it."

"This is your baby!" I yelled as I held my tummy. "It's our baby, Ronnie! Our baby!"

"I hate to say it Lizzie," he said. "But you're on your own now. I got my whole life ahead of me." That last line got me so angry to the point where I began pulling his hair hard and pounding his body with my fists.

"Miss McGuire!" yelled Mr. Digg as he pulled me off of Ronnie. "To Miss Ungermeyer's office, now!"

"But I…" I replied. I could not believe he was taking Ronnie's side.

"Not buts, Miss McGuire!" he said. "We do not tolerate violence here at Hillridge High." Great now the whole world was against me. My whole life is officially ruined. All because of selfish me! Fortunately, in my opinion, I lost the baby a few months later. I believe it was best for me and the unborn child since I would not have the means to take care of him or her.

_Five Years Later_

Ronnie was officially successful in destroying my life. His dad must have made a few calls to make sure that no modeling agency would want to even consider hiring me. Somehow, he was able to convince them that I was a slut who was more of a liability than asset since I don't have the sense to practice safe sex which could cause me to have an unwanted pregnancy. No agency would want to risk their reputation by hiring me.

Today, I work as a waitress part time, at Hal's Diner. Given the tough economic times, I'm happy to be working. Unfortunately, after I finish paying the rent for my cheap apartment, there is little to nothing left over; which was why I was forced to accept a job as a stripper at night to help pay the bills. I will be starting very soon. So much for being the great, talented Lizzie, right?

I deeply regret all the decisions I have made in the past. It all started with my decision to dump Gordo and Miranda to join Kate and the posse. This led me to cultivate superficial friends who never really gave a damn about me. However, my deepest mistake was getting back with Ronnie. He officially ruined my life. I could not believe I was stupid enough to fight my whole family just to be with him. Now, I have no one to lean on, I only have myself and my will to survive which still remains strong to this day. I'm an optimist. I strongly believe that as long as there's a tomorrow, things could get better. But sometimes I wonder, how it can ever happen?

"Waitress!" yelled one of my customers. That's my cue.

"Yes, sir?"

"I ordered tomatoes on my burger." He said. "But I don't see no tomatoes,"

"No problem, sir, I'll go get you some," he handed me his plate as I walked towards the kitchen. On my way there, another customer called for me.

"Waitress!"

"I'll be with you in a minute."

"I've been waiting for close to half an hour!" he yelled. I just ignored him and continued to walk into the kitchen. "That's it! I'm calling the manager!"

The story of my life…

**A/N: Wow. That was a pretty long chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you hated it, please let me know as well. The next chapter will be up very soon. **


	5. Booking 101

**A/N: Great, I finally have time to write another chapter. It's too bad I had to come down with the flu and am currently recovering. But hey, at least I can finally update this story, right? Also, Lizzie will not be in this chapter so I will be writing in third person POV.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Booking 101: Top Talent Needs to Draw

"Please, help me convince them not to pull the plug on us," David Gordon said to himself as he put on his suit and fixed himself in front of the mirror. As soon as he finished getting ready, he entered his car and drove off.

He later arrived at a small building in downtown Hillridge. Gordo stepped out of his car and looked at the huge sign before him, "Hillridge Entertainment Group" before he breathed a long sigh. "This is it," he said nervously.

Ever since he was a teenager, Gordo always carried his movie camera around. He even helped Matt, Lizzie's younger brother make a cool movie which won him the Jet Li's Sidekick contest. This led many to believe that Gordo would one day be a successful film maker. In the year 2011, that prediction was almost right. When most of his peers were looking for jobs after graduating from college, Gordo decided to think outside of the box and start his own company. Because of the high cost of film equipment, HEG is instead operating as a recording studio which promotes musical talent and puts on shows at small venues for the general public. Gordo is hoping that HEG could one day venture into the movie industry. But he first had to worry about the board meeting that was about to take place.

After college, Larry Tudgeman became a very successful technology entrepreneur. Tudgeman used his technological know-how to start a successful video game development company similar to Sierra in the late twentieth century. Today, the company has expanded and is soon expected to be a threat to big game development firms like EA (Electronic Arts). Tudgeman was now a venture capitalist seeking to invest in firms which showed some "promise". He is currently one of the key investors on the board of H.E.G.

Gordo entered the building and was greeted by Margaret, the receptionist and his personal assistant. "Good morning Mr. Gordon," she greeted. "Mr. Tudgeman and the others are already waiting for you in the meeting room."

"Good morning, Margaret," Gordo replied. "Wish me luck today," he continued softly.

"Good luck, sir" she replied with a smile.

Shortly before Gordo could enter the room, he felt a pair of hands fall over his eyes.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

"Come on, Miranda," Gordo said in a frustrating tone. "The meeting I'm about to be in could determine if our company survives or if all we need to file for unemployment."

"Come on, Gordo," replied Miranda. "I've been putting asses in seats haven't I?" Gordo did not respond. "Well, haven't I?"

"Ya, I guess." Gordo replied, not wanting to start an argument before the very important meeting. "Listen, Miranda, I need to go…"

Miranda walked up to Gordo and gave his a peck on the cheek. "Well then, go get 'em tiger," she said with a smile.

"I will (I hope)," Gordo replied before he walked into the meeting room.

_The Meeting Room_

As soon as Gordo entered the room, Tudgeman began applauding sarcastically. "Well, it's about time you showed up, Mr. Gordon."

"My apologies Tudgeman, I mean, Mr. Tudgeman," Gordo said in response.

"Finally, we can get started," said Mr. Lichtenstein, another investor. "Mr. Gordon, we are holding this meeting today because we are very concerned about the future of this company."

"I understand your concern, sir." Gordo replied.

"Oh do you?" Gordo looked puzzled.

"Mr. Gordon, in case you haven't noticed, revenues have been constantly in decline," Mr. Lichtenstein continued.

Gordo sighed. "Sir, I want to assure you that I am doing all I can to improve our ticket sales, album sales and to a lesser extent, food and beverage sales at events. Furthermore, I have authorized a rollback of the prices of these goods with the hope of increasing revenue in these tough economic times."

"But none of the steps you've taken have helped," Mr. Lichtenstein pointed out. "HEG has been operating in the red for the past six months and we believe it will only get worse. Given that we recently invested over a hundred thousand dollars to put on a show in Santa Barbara while we only took in fifty grand. See the problem there? I'm sorry Mr. Gordon but I'm afraid we may soon have to pull the plug."

"No, please don't." Gordo pleaded. "This company has been my life-long dream (well, sort of). Give me another chance"

"I believe you've been failing to address the real problem," Mr. Steiner pointed out.

"Which is?" Gordo asked pretending not to know what it is. Mr. Steiner simply looked away, reluctant to answer Gordo's question.

"Miranda sucks," Tudgeman bluntly said as he briefly stood up. "She may be a good singer but she has no charisma. Furthermore, she does not have a very appealing personality. She even lacks the mic skills and the composure needed to address the fans."

"But…" Gordo started.

"Look, pal, if you're smart you'd do what's best for the company." Tudgeman stated. "You could continue to keep her as part of the shows but you need to find a new performer to be in the main event."

"I agree," said Mr. Lichtenstein.

"Me, too," said Mr. Steiner. Gordo was at a loss for words. How would he break it to Miranda that she will no longer be the main event at HEG shows?

"So, Gordo," Tudgeman started. "We will give you another chance to convince us that HEG is a viable investment. First, you need to find a new main event performer who is to perform in front of us and then you need to put on a show, even a small production, and actually bring in a profit. Any questions?"

"Actually I do," Gordo replied. "How long do I have?"

"We'll give you a month and a half to find someone to replace your girlfriend." Tudgeman said.

"Well, actually, we're kind of on and off at the moment…" Gordo attempted to say.

"Great, so we'll see you in a month," said Mr. Lichtenstein. At this point the members of the board stood up and left the room.

Gordo sat back down and buried his head underneath his arms. How was he going to find a new main event performer in a month? Someone who could sing, dance and has a personality which appeals to fans?

_Outside the meeting room_

Miranda hurriedly rushed towards Gordo and wrapped her arms around his neck. But he was not in the mood so he gently pushed her away.

"What's wrong, Gordo?" Miranda asked.

"Miranda there's no easy way to say this," Gordo started. "But the board has ordered me to remove you from the main event."

"They told you to fire me?" Miranda asked furiously.

"No, it's not that," Gordo replied.

"Then what?" Miranda asked. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"They told me you could still be part of the show," Gordo said. "I could place you at the bottom or the middle of the card."

"I hate you!" Miranda yelled before she ran out of the building.

"Miranda, wait!" Gordo attempted to run after her but it was too late.

"Is everything alright Mr. Gordon?" Margaret asked with a look of concern on her face.

"Don't worry about Miranda," Gordo said. "I'll deal with her tonight."

"That's good," she replied. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Glad you asked," Gordo said. "Margaret, I need you to place newspaper and online ads saying that we are looking for a talented performer to entertain our growing number of fans. The survival of this company depends on it. It's the dawn of a new era."

"I'll get on it right away sir,"

_Later that evening_

Gordo used his keys to enter Miranda's apartment. The minute Miranda saw him, she began pounding her fists in his chest.

"I hate you!" she screamed. "How could you do this to me?"

"Miranda, I had no choice," Gordo replied. "HEG is around because of those investors. Even if I don't like what they're telling me to do, I have to do it!"

"I thought I was a good singer!" she yelled. "But apparently you don't appreciate my talents!"

Gordo has had enough. He forcefully planted a kiss on her lips. Miranda quickly kissed back. Gordo then led her into the bedroom where they settled their dispute (for now).

With Miranda sound asleep next to him, Gordo could only hope for the best. The board has given him a tall order. But he strongly believed that there were many talented people in this country. How hard could this task be?

_The Next Several Days_

Gordo and Margaret quickly realized that finding good talent was a difficult task, to say the least. The audition videos were terrible. Most of the candidates were either tone deaf, out of tune or were simply wannabes.

Later on in the day, Gordo was excited about Victoria, another candidate to take Miranda's place. He had spoken with her over the phone and had seen her picture. She had long blonde hair and a very pretty face. Her only remaining test was to impress him with her singing. Unfortunately, that's where the expectations fell short.

"_America… America… My home sweet home…"_ Victoria finally finished her short performance. Gordo and Margaret had dead looks on their faces. Watching the terrible performance was indeed a drag.

"Thanks, Vicky," said Gordo as he attempted to applaud. "We'll give you a call,"

"Thanks David," Victoria replied as she stepped out of the recording room.

"You're not going to give her a contract, are you, sir?" Margaret asked.

"Of course not, Margaret," Gordo replied. "The board would pull the plug in a heartbeat."

"Good choice, sir."

_Later that Night_

"Gordo, you still haven't replaced me, have you?" Miranda asked politely.

"Not yet," Gordo replied. "We're having trouble finding your replacement."

"That's great," Miranda exclaimed. "Maybe HEG needs me after all, huh?"

"Sorry dear, I can't do that…"

"What?" Miranda started. "What else are you gonna do? You! You!" Before she could say anymore, Gordo once again kissed her and led her to the bedroom.

While in bed, Miranda squeezed Gordo tightly. "I'm sorry, Gordo, I guess I just wanted to hold on to old glory,"

"No need to apologize, Miranda," Gordo replied as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Miranda fell into a deep sleep shortly thereafter.

"The clock is ticking," Gordo thought to himself. "What am I gonna do?"

_The Next Morning_

"Good morning Margaret," Gordo greeted as he hurriedly rushed towards his office.

"Mr. Gordon, I think I found something rather interesting buried deep in the storage room," said Margaret.

"What is it?" Gordo asked curiously.

"I placed it next to your desk in your office. It's a box that says 'DO NOT OPEN EVER.'"

"Margaret, how could you do that? At a time like this?" Gordo asked angrily.

"Forgive me, sir," said Margaret. "I just thought it would be of interest to you."

"Oh well, whatever…" Gordo said in frustration as he entered his office and shut the door.

Sure enough the box which says "DO NOT OPEN EVER!" was sitting next to his desk.

Gordo was pacing frantically across his office. He did not feel that this was a good time to open that box. That was why he kept it hidden for all these years. The funny thing was he never had the nerve to burn the box and its contents or to throw it away.

Gordo sat on his chair, opened his drawer and took out a box cutter all while thinking about the move he was about to make.

"Should I do this?" he asked himself before he cut the tape off the box. "Well, I guess it could be HEG's only hope for survival." Gordo then began cutting away at the tape.

**A/N: What's in the box? Hit that review button and tell me what you think. I noticed people have been favoriting and adding my story to their alerts but have not been reviewing. Please review my story whether you love it so far or hate it. It would motivate me even more. 'Til next time…**


	6. Unexpected Encounter

**A/N: Thanks once again to HilaryDroxursox and bubbles237 for reviewing the last chapter. The events of the last chapter were very close to the experiences of someone in my family who knows firsthand what its like to deal with venture capitalists (usually not fun). By the way, there is a scene in this chapter which is patterned after Hilary Duff's scene in War, Inc. I know it's practically a carbon copy but I promise it has my own twist in it. Hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show. Disney does. **

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 6: Unexpected Encounter

Gordo slowly ran the box cutter through the tape of the box labeled "Do Not Open Ever!" For years, he has sworn to himself that he would never open the box. Inside it contained remnants of the painful past he constantly tried to forget.

Gordo took out a copy of several magazines such as Maxim, Shape, Cosmo and US Weekly.

"Boy, I guess Ronnie's dad must have had huge connections," Gordo said with a sigh.

Right before him were magazines which he purchased years back for one major reason, the cover-girl "Elizabeth McGuire". The covers as well as the photos inside the magazines feature Lizzie in various attires from evening gowns to swimsuits and even in her underwear. Even after Lizzie dropped him like a hot potato, he nonetheless found time to enjoy her hot photos. She was after all, the girl of his dreams; always had been, always will be. Unfortunately, after his 'happy times' were over, reality always hits him: the Lizzie McGuire he constantly comes in contact with is not the same Lizzie he was friends with all these years. The new Lizzie that stood before him was very mean, selfish, cold-hearted and to a certain extent, slutty. She also had a new look which even Gordo had to admit, was very stunning. New Lizzie had dark hair, longer eyelashes, very tanned skin and had a darker aura about her. Although she may be hot on the outside, Gordo knew she was rotten to the core on the inside and he experienced it first hand.

_Flashback:_

"_Lizzie, what's happened to you?" Gordo asked Lizzie._

"_Nothing, it's still the same old me," Lizzie replied._

"_No it's not," Gordo replied. "The old Lizzie always cared about her friends. You always had time for the most important people in your life. Now, I don't even know who you are anymore."_

_Lizzie continued to deny that she had changed until she said the words that drove Gordo out of her life forever._

"_Kate was right, you were simply a fickle-minded boy who did nothing but hold me back all these years. I don't want to be with a BOY, what I need is a MAN and Guess what? You're not it!"_

"She literally dumped me and Miranda, why should I turn to her to save HEG?" Gordo asked himself as he began to feel uneasy. Nonetheless, he continued to look closely at the magazine covers and even flipped through the pages.

He then walked back towards the box and looked at the other items inside. He stumbled upon some old photos of him, Lizzie and Miranda at Coaster Kingdom.

"We had some good times together," Gordo said with a smile as he looked at the photos. "Miranda was great. But things will never be the same without you, Lizzie." He then placed a finger on Lizzie in the picture and rubbed it gently. His eyes began getting watery and a tear fell through his cheek.

_Flashback:_

"_Gordo," said Lizzie as they both prepared to have their middle school class picture taken. "Promise me, we'll always stick together, even in high school."_

"_Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Gordo confidently replied._

_Shortly after the photographer snapped the camera, Lizzie planted a kiss on Gordo's cheek. That particular moment in time was forever captured in the photograph._

"I know she's still in there somewhere, the Lizzie that I used to know" Gordo said as he looked at the photo.

Just when he was ready to end his trip down memory lane, Gordo found a DVD hiding somewhere on the sides of the box. He took the DVD and placed it into the disk drive of his laptop.

Gordo enjoyed watching the video which featured Lizzie's performance in Rome along with the unforgettable moment of Lizzie and Isabella joining hands and bowing before the capacity crowd.

"She's the one!" Gordo said. "Now, I just need to find her." He then stood up and walked out of his office.

"Margaret,"

"Yes sir?"

"I need you to find an old friend of mine." As he said this, he placed one of the magazines on Margaret's desk.

"Elizabeth McGuire?" Margaret looked at Gordo with a skeptical look on her face. "Are you absolutely sure about this, sir?"

"Of course, why do you question my decision?" Gordo said with a raised voice.

"I'm sorry sir," replied Margaret as she continued to look at the copy of US weekly on her desk. "It's just that you and Miss McGuire have an unpleasant past together and…"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there," Gordo interrupted. "This relationship will be strictly professional. In addition, she is what this company needs, so you and I can both keep our jobs, got it?"

"I understand, sir. I'll get on it right away."

"Thanks Margaret." Gordo then stepped back into his office.

After a day of calling around, Margaret was able to speak with Jo McGuire. She says that Lizzie has not been in touch with her or Sam since she moved out five years ago. But she nonetheless suggested that Margaret should try calling again later when Matt returns home from Hillridge Community College. Although Matt refuses to admit it, she feels that there is a good chance that he has recently been in touch with Lizzie. So Margaret did just that.

"I gotta tell you, I feel bad for my sister." Matt told Margaret in his typical sarcastic tone.

"What do you mean, Matt?" asked Margaret.

"Well last time I heard from her, which was several months ago, she was working as a waitress at some restaurant," said Matt. "Which she refuses to name,"

"Is there anything else you can tell me that could help me find her?"

"Why do you want to find my sister so bad?" asked Matt.

"Well, my boss, Mr. Gordon has ordered me to find her," said Margaret.

"Mr. Gordon? David Gordon?" Matt was really interested to hear about this.

"That is correct, I am calling from Hillridge Entertainment Group located here in downtown Hillridge," Margaret replied.

"I knew Gordo would one day want my sister again…"

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing," replied Matt. "Since you're helping Gordo, I have some info which might help you find her."

"How do you know this?"

"I have my sources. For one, my girlfriend Melina is a really good at this," Matt proudly pointed out.

"Matt!" Melina's voice could be heard in the background.

"Coming!" Matt replied. "Okay, Melina spotted a woman who looks just like Lizzie who works at a gentleman's club in the evening. The strip club is located in the industrial part of Hillridge. You know, the not so nice side of town."

"I think I know where that is," Margaret replied.

"Matt! COME HERE NOW!" once again Melina's voice could be heard.

"Gotta go," said Matt. "Good luck finding my sister. If you do manage to find her, tell her that I think she should get back with Gordo, he's a pretty cool guy."

"Thanks. Will do," replied Margaret as she hung up. She quickly rushed to Gordo's office.

"Margaret, what's up?" asked Gordo.

"I think I know where you can find her," Margaret said confidently.

"How do you know this information is credible?"

"It's from her brother, Matt," replied Margaret. "He said his girlfriend Melina spotted a stripper who might look like his sister. The strip club is located in the industrial district of town."

"Great, I'll be on my way," said Gordo as he hurriedly got up from his chair.

"Sir, are you sure you don't want anyone to come with you?" Margaret asked with a look of concern.

"No, I'll be fine," said Gordo. "Trust me, after all those years of watching and shooting martial arts films, I'm sure I can take care of myself."

"Please be careful, sir."

_In the Industrial District…_

Gordo brought his ugly looking sedan to the Industrial District. This was, after all, a high crime area. After scanning the area, he found a huge neon sign that says "Babes".

"This must be it," said Gordo as he headed inside the strip club. He quickly walked up to the bar.

"What can I get you, boss?" asked the bar tender.

"Just hard lemonade, please." Gordo replied.

"Comin' up, boss," said the bar tender. "Hey man, did you come here to see the new performer we hired?"

"No, I just came to relax, actually," said Gordo.

"Well, trust me you're gonna love her," said the bar tender. "Her name is Elizabeth. But the MC calls her 'Miss Elizabeth', that's her stage name."

"Elizabeth?" Gordo asked. "You don't mean…"

"In fact she's up right now," Gordo could not believe his eyes. Out came dark haired Lizzie wearing a white top which hovered just above her flat stomach. Gordo was speechless. In addition, she was wearing tight fitting khaki's along with black leather boots. To Gordo, she looked just as hot as she was years ago.

_From the minute that you walked right through the door_

_Thoughts were racing in my mind, time to explore_

_I told my friends that I just gotta have him_

_But don't look now cause I see you staring at him_

_Tunnel vision had him locked down in my sight_

_On a mission for position by the end of the night_

_It's like a prey playing games with the hunter_

_Nowhere to run boy, time to surrender_

"Boy, she still has the same seductive look she developed years ago," Gordo thought to himself. Shortly thereafter, Lizzie removed her top to reveal a black bra, much to the delight of the audience.

_And all I need is to feel you_

_All I want is to feel you_

_Reach out and touch me before I go insane_

_Reach out and touch me, boy don't you make me wait_

_I'm the diamond and you're so on the money_

_Reach out and touch me_

As she sang the chorus, Lizzie continued to shake and move her core area which everyone enjoyed.

_Like a prayer your touch can take me there_

_In my mind you and me in a secret affair_

_Oh boy you're killing me and you don't even know it_

_Tried to hold back but I can't control it_

Lizzie now grabbed the pole and swung around it. Gordo was impressed that she could sing live, strip and pole dance at the same time.

_So I'm stepping to ya, skip the how you doin'?_

_Grab your hand and pull you closer to me, yeah_

_Out the door we're slipping then we started kissing_

_Boy you're invited to my fanta-tasy_

At this point Lizzie took a live scorpion out of her pocket and teasingly waved it around slightly above her waist.

"Oh no, don't tell me she's…" said Gordo who was enjoying himself but was at the same time very uncomfortable seeing his former friend like this. Sure enough Lizzie dropped the scorpion inside her pants. Everyone cheered as she maintained her seductive look at the audience and rocked her waist and package area while she moaned softly. The men just could not get enough. Within a minute, she looked at a screaming customer who she signaled to join her on stage, the man could not resist.

_And all I need is to feel you_

_All I want to feel you_

"Get it out," she whispered in the man's ear. She then grabbed the man's hand and guided it inside her pants. As the man attempted to find the scorpion, Lizzie continued to moan louder and louder. At this point, Gordo had seen enough and decided to walk out of the strip club.

_Reach out and touch me before I go insane_

_Reach out and touch me, boy don't you make me wait_

_I'm the diamond and you're so on the money_

_Reach out and touch me_

The man finally got the scorpion out and stuffed two one hundred dollar bills into Lizzie's bra. Shortly thereafter, Lizzie slowly unzipped her pants and threw it into the crowd. She continued to dance close to the edge of the stage and the men continued to stuff money into her bra and even around the waistband of her underwear.

After her performance, Lizzie returned backstage unsure of how to react to her daring performance (clearly an understatement). She felt very dirty selling her body like that but she makes good money doing this.

"Nice job out there, Liz," said Mike, the owner of the strip club. "We need more performers like you."

"Thanks, Mike," Lizzie replied still with her head down.

As Mike stepped out of the dressing room, Mary, another stripper patted Lizzie's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," she told Lizzie. "It just takes time."

"Yeah, thanks," Lizzie replied.

After she finished getting changed, Lizzie stepped out of the club. She constantly made it a point to get to her car as quickly as possible since this was the dangerous part of town. Unfortunately, on this night, two men appeared to be waiting for her in a deserted alleyway which she has to go through to get to her car. It was times like this when she wished she could get Steve, the bouncer, to walk with her to her car. Unfortunately, he was paid to deal with trouble at the club but not necessarily to protect the strippers once they leave the club.

As Lizzie turned into the alleyway, there were two men standing around the corner. This made her uncomfortable so she continued to walk briskly in the direction of where her car was parked.

"Hey babe," said one of the men. "What do you say we get it on, tonight?"

Lizzie ignored him and sped up her walk. This only frustrated the man. "What's wrong, don't you find me hot?"

"Let's get her," said the other man.

That was her cue. Lizzie began running as fast as she could but running in heels was no easy task. One of the men grabbed her from behind and placed her in a bearhug. In response Lizzie dropped down and struck his groin, forcing him to let go. She continued running but quickly slipped and dropped to the ground. She was in serious danger now. Realizing this, she tried to get back up to her feet as quickly as possible but the second man got on top of her. She desperately tried to fight back by scratching the man's face.

"Oww!" yelled the man. "That hurt bitch!" He then hit Lizzie hard in the face and continued to do so a couple more times before he pulled out a knife from his pocket. Lizzie was now helpless as the man held her down while placing the knife around her throat.

"Please don't hurt me," she tried to plead.

"Don't worry. We're not gonna hurt you, Missie," replied the man. "We just want to have some fun with you tonight." The man then unzipped Lizzie's shorts and gave them to the other man.

"No! No! Please don't!" Lizzie tried to scream. She quickly felt a huge bolt of electricity go through her body. She could tell that she was just hit by a stun gun. The man followed up by placing his hands on his underwear. Lizzie closed her eyes tightly. This was a moment every woman dreads and now Lizzie felt that she was surely about to become a victim, too.

As the man pulled down Lizzie's underwear, she heard a huge *bashing* sound in the background. She could vaguely see a man dressed in a trench coat with a Mafia hat hit one of her attackers in the head with a trash can lid. The "Mafia man" hit the other attacker one more time for good measure.

The other attacker got off of her and quickly looked to subdue the man who came to Lizzie's rescue. He tried to stab the mysterious man with the stun gun but the man blocked it with the trash can lid and parried it to the side. The attacker attempted to stab the mystery man with the knife in his other hand but before he could do that, the mystery man landed a hard kick to the groin. The man then followed up with a knee to the face and hit the attacker on the head with the trashcan lid.

The mystery man quickly turned Lizzie over and pulled her underwear back up.

"Who are you?" Lizzie asked softly as she began to lose consciousness.

The man picked her up and replied, "A friend."

**A/N: The song I used in this chapter is "Reach Out" by Hilary Duff. I think it's pretty obvious who the mystery man is. Please Review. Things are about to get interesting.**


	7. A Second Chance

**A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed the last chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show. Disney does. The songs used in this chapter are properties of their respective artists.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 7: A Second Chance

I opened my eyes and felt an excruciating soreness all over my body. I looked around and found myself in bed inside a room I have never seen before. All over the room were pictures of famous rock bands and pop stars such as Metallica, Megadeth, Nickelback and the Backstreet Boys to name a few. I looked under the covers to find myself only in my underwear. I wonder where my clothes went. I look over to my side on the night table and found my purse sitting there. I guess I must be in the place of the person who rescued me last night. That had to have been the most frightening moment of my life but thankfully, someone came to rescue. I wonder who that person must be. I need to find that person and give him my thanks. I got up and walked out of the room.

When I stepped out of the room I was stunned to find myself in a massive two story house as indicated by the long stairway. There was even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Wow, this guy must be rich! I made my way down the stairs and found a massive flat screen TV in the living room along with a leather couch. As soon as I got down, I heard a faucet running in the kitchen. I slowly walked towards the kitchen to see if the man who saved me was there. Sure enough, he was. He was a man of average height with curly dark hair and he was busy doing the dishes.

I cautiously walked into the kitchen, not wanting to startle him. "Umm… Hi there, I just wanted to thank you for, you know, saving me last night."

The man turned off the faucet and stopped what he was doing. He just stood there and did not speak for about a minute. The silence was really awkward so I thought I should probably just go home. "Looks like you're really busy right now… I need to get going. Thanks again."

"Wait," he suddenly said.

"It's been a while since we've spoken to each other," he said. That voice sounded very familiar. "Lizzie McGuire."

"Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked. Could this really be? The man turned around and did indeed look like a boy I used to know very well.

"How could I not, we practically grew up together," he replied with a smile. He looked a little embarrassed and tried to look away. It was him. It was really him!

"Gordo?" I asked. He smiled again while refusing to look at me. I ran towards him and hugged him tightly. I wonder why he's not hugging back. It's like he doesn't even want to touch me.

"Umm… Lizzie?" he tried to say.

"Yeah, Gordo?" I replied as I continued to squeeze him tightly and rest my head on his chest. Boy, I wish I had been able to do this before.

"You're kind of…" Before he could finish his sentence, I heard someone turning the lock of the front door.

"Gordo, what the hell are you doing?" yelled another familiar voice. Gordo gently pushed me away.

"Miranda, trust me, it's not what it looks like," Gordo replied in a nervous tone. Miranda shifted her focus towards me.

"Hey Miranda," I replied. "Long time no see." I tried to walk towards her to give her a hug but she quickly stuck out both of her hands.

"Stay away from me, slut!" she yelled. Ouch, that hurt. "What happened between you and Gordo last night? And where are your clothes?" Oh, that's why Gordo wasn't hugging me back (duh!).

"I don't know, when I woke up, I found myself in one of the bedrooms upstairs," I replied as I tried to cover up. Gordo walked towards the closet and grabbed a coat which he handed to me. I thanked him and put it on.

Miranda shot a piercing look back at Gordo. "Okay, what exactly is she doing here?" Man, looks like she's really mad at me. I don't blame her. "Are you really that much of a pig that would actually fuck a bitch like her?"

"Miranda, trust me nothing happened last night," said Gordo. Boy, it looks like one hell of task trying to keep Miranda calm. "She's here because I rescued her from a couple of potential rapists last night."

"Okay, and?"

"The VCs (investors) want me to present them with the new talent sometime soon. I think she just might be the one who could to save our company," as Gordo said this, he looked away refusing to look at Miranda or myself. What is he talking about?

"Gordo, have you forgotten that she turned on us years ago?" Miranda was livid.

Yeah, right. Looks like you two got a little too close last night," said Miranda. Before she stepped out of the house, she turned around and said, "Don't tell me I didn't warn you…"

Gordo turned towards me and tried to smile. "Sorry about that," he told me. "I didn't expect our old friend to be so rude to you."

"Don't worry about it, Gordo," I replied.

"Listen Lizzie," Gordo said. "What do you say we go on a short ride back to where your car was parked last night?"

"I would love that, Gordo," I replied.

"Great, I'm gonna call Sergei and some members of my security team right now," Gordo took out his cell phone and began to dial Sergei's number.

"Sergei? Do you mean Paolo's former bodyguard now works for you?" Wow, Gordo must be REALLY rich for him to afford his own security team.

"Yes, I was able to find him in Italy a few years ago," he told me. "Since Italy's economy is in the crapper right, Sergei had no choice but to work as a security guard at that expensive shopping district you visited years ago,"

"I see, like Paul Blart!" I replied enthusiastically. "Not much glamour there."

"Exactly," Gordo replied. "He agreed to come to America where the economy is a little bit better and work for me. In fact, I helped him acquire his green card. He is now the head of my security team in charge of security at our events. I'll tell you more about that in a little while."

"Cool," I said. "Let me go up and get my stuff."

Five minutes later...

"Sergei's here, let's go," Gordo said. Sergei greeted me by slightly nodding his head. I responded with a smile in the same manner.

"Where exactly are we going again?" I asked.

"Oh, Sergei and a couple other members of his team who are in the other car outside will escort us back to your vehicle and will follow you until you return home safely. Shall we go?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure," At this point I hooked my arm around his arm. "We sure have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?"

While we were traveling towards the industrial district, I learned that after college Gordo decided to start his own company called Hillridge Entertainment Group. Whenever I used to go window shopping in downtown Hillridge, I occasionally walked by the small office building where HEG was located as the huge sign indicated. I initially thought that the company was a small, independent film company since Gordo always used to enjoy filming random moments in our lives. But that was not the case since movies cost a lot of money to make. At this point in time, HEG is focusing on promoting musical talent and putting on shows in minor venues in different parts of the country. Somehow, we managed to avoid talking about our past.

Gordo leaned forward slightly as he took a sip from his cup of coffee. "Since when did you, Lizzie McGuire choose to become a stripper?" he asked.

"Actually, to be honest with you, I always wanted to either be a singer or a model," I told him. "Unfortunately, Ronnie ruined my life so now that dream is dead."

"He did? How so?" Seriously Gordo, do you really have to ask that question? Isn't it obvious?

"As you know his dad owns a modeling agency. Well, he actually made some phone calls after Ronnie dumped me, again. So now I can longer be earn a living as a model since Ronnie's dad got me blacklisted." I told him.

Gordo stayed silent for a minute perhaps because he was reminded of our unpleasant past. That was the time when he and Miranda were no longer my friends all because of selfish me. And now, right now, here we are speaking to each other again, not as kids but as adults.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "So what else are you doing now?"

"Don't be sorry," I told him. "This was all my fault. If I hadn't turned on you and Miranda, my two best friends in the world, my life wouldn't be like this," At this point, I couldn't help but start sobbing softly.

"No use crying over spilled milk," he told me as he put a hand on my shoulder. There was little he could do to comfort me right now. I could tell he wasn't sure what to say.

"But to answer your question, in the mornings I work part-time as a waitress at Hal's diner in the morning and into the early afternoon," I felt so ashamed right now. I mean look at Gordo, he turned out very successful. He really made something of himself unlike me.

"There's nothing shameful about honest work," Gordo said firmly. "Now, are you still interested in fulfilling your dream of becoming a singer?"

"My dream? It died a long time ago!" More tears began to fall from my eyes.

"Nonsense!" He grabbed both of my shoulders. I looked away. After everything I've told him, I just couldn't bear to look at him. He shouldn't even be wasting his time on someone 'overrated' like me. "Lizzie, look at me," he held my chin and turned my face towards his. "You've always had something great in you. Have you forgotten about the time you wowed the crowd at the coliseum in Rome?"

"That was such as long time ago, why does that still matter?" I asked him. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm a has-been, a HAS-BEEN Gordo."

Gordo showed me a caring smile on his face. Boy, do I really miss those. "Lizzie, you had the right stuff in you the whole time. You may have made a few mistakes here and there but I know you've still got it in you. And let me tell you something, I can help you make your dream come true," He used his hand to wipe the tears off my face. He had a point.

"Can you really?" I asked him.

"Sure," he replied. "That's what's great about being CEO," We both laughed at this point. "Great, you're laughing again, I like it when you laugh," Another one of Gordo's famous lines, some things never change. "I'll tell you what, I want you to quit your job at the strip club when we get there,"

"But Gordo, I can't. I need the money,"

"Don't worry about the money," he assured me. "I will gladly match the amount you're making now at the strip club."

"What about Hal's?" I asked him.

"You could keep your job there, honest work is honest work," he told me. "Our recording sessions are in the late afternoons and sometimes last until the evening,"

"You mean, you're offering me a job?" Gordo chuckled.

"I'm not just offering you a job, Lizzie," he assured me. "I'm offering you a second chance at life, a chance to claim your rightful place in this world. The only question is, are you in?"

"Of course," I told me. "I'd definitely love to perform in front of an audience again,"

"Great," he said with a smile. "Lizzie McGuire, welcome to HEG,"

"Thanks Gordo," I had my arms wide open, ready to hug him one more time but he quickly held out a hand so we sealed the deal with a handshake instead. This tells me it will take a while for our relationship to be back to the way it used to be. He is clearly keeping his distance at this point.

"Well, here we are," he said. "Sergei will escort you to your car and will follow you home because you will be putting on your first performance tonight."

"Tonight?" This totally caught me off guard. Is he insane? How am I supposed to be ready to perform tonight?"

"Don't worry, you'll do great," he tried assured me. "You are familiar with the old Laguna Beach theme song, _Come Clean_, are you not?"

"Well yeah, I used to watch the show,"

"Great, be ready by five o'clock today," he said. "Sergei will pick you up. And don't forget to dress nice."

"Okay, Gordo, I won't," I replied. I stepped out of the car and waved goodbye to him. He waved back.

Before I went back to my car, I decided to visit Mike and let him know I was leaving the strip club. He didn't seem surprised at all.

"You're leaving?" he said. "I'm not surprised. I always knew you were too good to be working in a place like this,"

"I wouldn't say that…" I tried to say.

"Listen, Lizzie," he said. "I'm sure whatever it is you're going to be doing, you'll do great. Just do me one little favor,"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Don't forget us little people when you make it to the top." He said with a smile. Boy, he was really nice.

"I won't," I replied.

As I walked out of the strip club, I felt that a chapter of my life had ended. Perhaps Gordo was right. This could be my chance to finally turn my life around after all these years.

Back at Lizzie's apartment…

For hours, I was thinking about my encounter with Gordo today. He has made it clear that at this point, we are not 'friends' but business partners. In other words, our relationship is strictly professional. I wonder if things could ever go back to the way they used to be. And what about Miranda? It's pretty clear that she still hasn't forgiven me for turning on her years ago. Oh well, I guess its best to just focus on the performance tonight.

Shortly before five o'clock…

I must've spent well over an hour picking out an outfit and applying my make-up. I decided on a red dress with white "cow design" straps which I bought while I was in high school. (**A/N: Okay, it's pretty clear that I suck at describing outfits in detail. But to you visual readers, Lizzie chose to wear the same outfit Hilary Duff wore when she performed on the Today Show in 2007. So she looks exactly like that. This works since we all know that Hilary Duff is Lizzie McGuire.) **

*Ring! Ring*

Okay, Sergei's here. I opened the door and sure enough he was there.

His eyes sure got wide. "You look good tonight, Miss McGuire," he said with utmost sincerity.

"Thanks Sergei," I replied as he escorted me to the limo. Wow, I feel like a celebrity already!

In the Recording Studio…

When I entered the building, Gordo was busy speaking to a woman who was just a little older than we were. When he turned around, he showed me a smile like he was happy to see me.

"Great, you made it," he said excitedly.

"I said I'd be here, didn't I?" I said with a grin. We both laughed lightly again. "Lizzie, meet Margaret, my assistant,"

"Nice to meet you, Miss McGuire," she said as she extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied. "Please call me Lizzie." She nodded.

"Okay, let's head on over to the studio. It's time." Gordo said as he led the way. Boy, I sure can feel the butterflies in my stomach.

When we entered the studio, there were several men in their late forties, at the very least waiting,

"Good evening gentlemen," Gordo greeted as he walked past them and quickly led me into the recording room.

"Gordo, who are those men?" I asked.

"They're investors," he replied. Oh great, this adds some pressure to the situation. "Don't worry about them." Yeah, easy for him to say, he's not the one performing!

"I can't do this," I said nervously.

"Lizzie, trust me," he said assuredly. "You'll do fine. Just be yourself and pretend they're not even there."

I inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Okay," I told him.

"Great," he said. "Don't let me down."

"I'll try,"

Just as he was about to step out of the recording room, he turned around and faced me. "You look great, by the way," I chuckled in response, typical Gordo.

"Thanks,"

"Okay, here we go," said the producer/director. "In 3,2,1…" Okay the moment of truth is here.

_Let's go back... Back to the Beginning…_

_Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned_

_Cause perfect, didn't feel so perfect_

_Trying to fit a square into a circle, was no life_

_I defy…_

_Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cause I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down, I'm coming clean_

_I'm clean… (Oh….)_

_I'm shedding… shedding every color_

_Trying to find a pigment of truth beneath my skin (Ohhh…)_

_Cause different, doesn't feel so different_

_And going out is better than always staying in…_

_Feel the wind!_

_Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cause I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down, I'm coming clean_

_Let the rain fall… _

_Let the rain fall…_

_I'm coming…_

_Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity _

_Cause I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down, I'm coming clean_

_Oh! I'm coming clean!_

_Oh! I'm coming clean!_

_Let the rain fall…_

_Let the rain fall…_

_I'm coming clean…_

_Let's go back… back to the beginning…_

On the other end of the room, through the glass window, I could see that the men enjoyed my performance. They got up from their seats and applauded me. Gordo smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up as he followed the men outside of the recording studio.

On this day, I got a second chance at life thanks to my old friend Gordo. Now my only hope is for things to, as the song goes, "go back to the beginning" when everything in my life was good; back to when I had countless things to be thankful for…

**A/N: The song used in this chapter is Come Clean by Hilary Duff as most of you know. Boy, this was a very dialogue heavy chapter. Some of you may have noticed but I also included some current events in this chapter. Let me know if you think it worked. I hope you guys like the story so far. Feel free to shoot me a review regardless. It would make my thanksgiving that much more special. I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! 'Til next time…**


	8. Wake Up

**A/N: Sorry about the long layoff. I just had a lot of stuff going on in my life, a little bit of drama. Fortunately (and unfortunately) it's over, for now. Okay, now on with the story. To get in the spirit I decided to add a Christmas song at the last moment.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own the show. Disney does.**

What Dreams Are Really Made Of

Chapter 8: Wake Up Wake Up in Santa Barbara

I walked into Gordo's office one late afternoon and found him busy speaking on the phone. He waved at me as soon as I walked in and gestured me to have a seat in front of his desk. I wonder who he was speaking to.

"Oh, that's too bad," he said. A few 'uh-huhs' later, he finally gave me a better idea of what was up. "No problem, Mr. Chancellor, I think I just have the performer to take their place." Okay, I guess this is where I come in. "Okay, I'll see you in a few days. Thanks. Bye." He hung up the phone and pulled his arm towards his body simultaneously exclaiming "yes!"

"Gordo, what's going on?" I asked him.

"Well, it looks like we just booked our ticket to Santa Barbara," he replied with a smile.

"What happened?" I asked. "Details please." He's really being very vague here.

"At UC Santa Barbara, the Alumni Association will be hosting a Christmas concert for recent graduates," he said. "One of the performers could not make it at the last minute so I spoke with the chancellor and he agreed to let me provide a performer, you."

"But why would they want ME to perform?" I asked. "Aren't college kids these days only into hip hop and reggae?"

"Quite the contrary, Lizzie," he replied with a smirk. "These days, many Gen Y'ers or millenials are actually missing the good old days. I think they are definitely going to love you and your brand of pop music."

"I hope so," I replied with a sigh.

_On the Chartered Bus…_

I later found out that Miranda was also going to perform at the concert. While we were riding on the chartered bus, I quietly observed Miranda as she rocked her head back and forth while listening to music on her ipod. When she noticed that I was looking at her, she shot me a death stare before removing her head phones.

"Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Sorry," I replied as I looked away. I could totally understand why she absolutely hates me. After all, I practically dropped her and Gordo like hot potatoes. It reminded me of the time when I made it clear to Miranda that Ronnie was more important to me than she was (or Gordo was, for that matter).

"_Lizzie, I want you listen to me VERY CAREFULLY," Miranda told me. "This is your brain," she said as she grabbed a cookie. "And this is your brain on Ronnie." She then crushed it with her fist._

"_The only reason you care now is because I have a boyfriend and you don't," I yelled in response. I later regret what I said but unfortunately, I could not take it back. "That came out all wrong,"_

"_No, I think it came out perfectly," she replied. "No, I don't have a boyfriend at the moment nor do I have much of a friend, either." After she said that, she walked out of my room. At the time, I thought she walked out of my life forever but thankfully that did not happen._

I pretty much did the same thing to her five years ago but what I did then was actually a lot worse than in middle school. At this point, I'm not sure if I could revive the friendship I once had with her and Gordo, who is clearly keeping his distance from me.

_Inside the Thunderdome…_

I looked in front of the mirror as I got ready to perform in front of screaming college students (well, kind of). It made me wonder if the crowd would actually welcome a performer like me who sings old school pop songs. This was also my first major performance since the Coliseum.

"Alright Gauchos, please welcome Lizzie McGuire!" exclaimed the emcee. The crowd began screaming. "Ms. McGuire will take all of us back to the good old days of our childhood. Enjoy." The emcee then handed me the microphone.

"Hello SB," I yelled at the crowd. "This next song is about going out and having fun on a Saturday night. I understand that schoolwork and other problems may tire us or get us down. But I believe it certainly helps to go out and have fun every once in a while. Most of you may know this song, it's called _Wake Up_." *Applause*

_There's people talking, they talk about me_

_They know my name, they think they know everything _

_But they don't know anything about me…_

_Give me a dance floor, give me a DJ_

_Play me a record, forget what they say_

'_Cause I need to go, need to get away… tonight_

_I put my makeup on a Saturday night,_

_I try to make it happen, try to make it alright_

_I know I make mistake; I'm living life day to day_

_It's never really easy but it's okay_

_Wake up Wake up on a Saturday night_

_Could be New York; maybe Hollywood and Vine_

_London, Paris, maybe Tokyo_

_There's something going on anywhere I go tonight, tonight_

_The city's restless, it's all around me_

_People in motion are sick of all the same routines_

_And they need to go, need to get away tonight_

_Wake up Wake up on a Saturday night_

_Could be New York; maybe Hollywood and Vine_

_London, Paris, maybe Tokyo_

_There's something going on anywhere I go tonight, tonight_

_People all around you everywhere that you go_

_People all around you, they don't really know you_

_Everybody's watching like its some kind of show_

_Everybody's watching, they don't really know you now_

_And forever…_

_Wake Up Wake Up on a Saturday night_

_Could be New York; maybe Hollywood and Vine_

_London, Paris, maybe Tokyo_

_There's something going on anywhere I go tonight… tonight… yeah, tonight_

*Applause* Man, they applause was deafening but that was great. At least I know I still got it after all those years.

"Let's hear it for Lizzie McGuire!" yelled the emcee. The response that followed really blew me away.

"One more song! One more song!" chanted the crowd.

"Umm… Okay, one more song…." Now that wasn't in the script. What do I do now? In the distance, I saw Gordo looking around trying to figure out what to do. He then hurriedly rushed to the backstage area. It looked like he actually had a plan. Within minutes, Gordo walked out of the backstage area and whispered something to the emcee.

"Alright Gauchos! Let's give a warm welcome to Latin pop singer Miranda Sanchez!" Miranda walked out of the backstage area of the Thunderdome and made her way to the stage.

"Alright, Lizzie, looks like we gotta perform together tonight to show some Christmas spirit," Miranda whispered in my ear. "But this doesn't mean anything. We can NEVER be friends, got it?"

"Okay," I replied with a sigh. Boy, she sure saved my butt this time.

"Alright everyone, Lizzie and I will be doing a cover of the classic Backstreet Boys song _Christmas Time_ to spread some Christmas cheer," she said. "Hope you guys enjoy it," The crowd applauded for a few seconds before we began. **(A/N: Miranda's part is italicized and Lizzie's is bold and italicized. The chorus is in regular font with both of them according to what I believe is the best way for them to do the cover.)**

_There is something special, about this time of year_

_Christmas feelings everywhere!_

_**I just got home to join you**_

_**I've been away to long**_

_**But now I'm back to share my love**_

_**Friends are reunited **_

_**One big family**_

_**Filled with love to last throughout the year**_

Christmas time, a time to share our love

So come and join the tidings to the world

Christmas time, the best time of the year

Yes its Christmas time!

_**You and me together**_

_**Sleigh ride in the park**_

_**Loving, kissing (glanced quickly at Gordo in the audience)**_

_**Straight from my heart**_

_Snowflakes falling gently _

_A smell of chestnuts in the air_

_And Christmas lights, they gleam across the sky_

Christmas time, a time to share our love

So come and join the tidings to the world

Christmas time, the best time of the year

Yes its Christmas time!

_Do you remember? _

_Everything felt so right_

_When I held you close to me_

_**Do you remember those cold Christmas nights?**_

_**When we saw the world in harmony…**_

Christmas time, a time to share our love

Come and join the tidings to the world

Christmas time, the best time of the year

Yes its Christmas time!

Christmas time, time to share our love

Come and join the tidings to the world

As Miranda and I continued to sing the first two stanzas of the chorus, I was amazed to see everyone in the Thunderdome, from the audience to the event staff to the police officers throwing their hands in the air and moving them side to side. It was such a good feeling to see them so into the performance.

Before I knew it, the song was over and the audience was applauding us. Wow, who would think that we would actually pull off an unexpected number like this one?

"Thank you so much everybody," I said. "We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!" Miranda and I then held hands and took a bow.

"Merry Christmas, Lizzie," Miranda suddenly told me. I looked at her with a smile. "I just thought I'd say that since it's the season but don't forget what I just told you," As she said this, I was surprised to see a small smile on her face.

"Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too, Miranda," I replied.

**A/N: The songs I used here are Wake Up by Hilary Duff and Christmas Time by the Backstreet boys. I know this felt like a filler chapter. To be honest with you, this turned out better than I expected since I actually ended up having Lizzie get somewhat reconnected with Miranda. I honestly came up with that on the spot. But there is still more to come. Thanks for your patience everyone.** **'Til next time. I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!**


End file.
